Friday, July 05, 2013

Liverpool To Give Young Duo A Chance

Porto winger Christian Atsu is no longer on Liverpool's radar, as the club is now concentrating on their own youngsters.

Jordan Ibe and Raheem Sterling both received chances with the senior line-up in Brendan Rodgers' first season in charge at Merseyside, with plans to concentrate on developing talent.

Atsu was believed to be on Liverpool's radar after a successful season at Porto, as Rodgers focuses on building his attacking options this summer.

The Liverpool Echo claims that the Reds will look to their own youngsters to step up next season, after Sterling in particular had a very successful first senior campaign with the side.

The 18-year-old had his season ended prematurely in March by a thigh injury, but still notched up 36 appearances over the course of the campaign.

The teen is now fully recovered and raring to get back into action for the club who began pre-season training this week.

Sterling already has a senior England cap to his name, and after shunning interest from other clubs to sign a long-term deal with Liverpool last season, Rodgers is reportedly confident that he doesn't need to spend £3m on Atsu when he has the youngster to call upon.

Meanwhile, Ibe is not quite yet at the same stage as Sterling, having received just one chance with the senior side last season. But his form was impressive against QPR on the final day of the Reds' campaign. As a result, Rodgers is believed to see the winger as a more viable option than bringing in someone who would need time to settle in and learn the ropes of English football.

While Rodgers is hoping to keep Sterling and Ibe for first team opportunities, he is reportedly considering sending out Suso and Andre Wisdom on loan so the pair clock up more game time and develop their skills.

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